WBMS Report: Global Refined Nickel Market Ends June 2024 with 15,000-Ton Surplus

Indonesia's railway operator, KAI, has reported promising initial performance results from its ongoing B50 biodiesel trials on locomotives and train generators, with testing proceeding smoothly without disrupting passenger services. These trials, which involve approximately 2,400 hours of testing on generators and a six-month evaluation on locomotives, are part of a cross-sector national preparation phase ahead of the targeted full implementation on July 1, 2026. Transitioning from the B40 mandate to this 50% plant-based oil blend is a strategic move by the government to enhance national energy self-sufficiency, cut reliance on fossil fuel imports, and further reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the mass transportation sector.

In Q1 2026, ANTAM produced 3.88 million wmt of nickel ore and sold 3.40 million wmt exclusively to the domestic market, maintaining steady operations using previous RKAB quotas before securing full approval in March. Concurrently, impacted by these raw material quota constraints and scheduled maintenance, the company's ferronickel segment produced 3,976 tons of nickel in ferronickel (TNi) and sold 2,803 TNi, successfully sustaining production continuity and its export positioning.

Huayou Cobalt announced that due to a sharp increase in the price of sulfur, a key auxiliary material for production, and the prolonged high-load operation since commissioning, among other factors, the company decided to temporarily halt production for maintenance on some production lines at Huafei Nickel & Cobalt starting from May 1, 2026. During this maintenance period, approximately 50% of Huafei Nickel & Cobalt's production is expected to be affected.